WILL WASHING MACHINE WATER KILL YOUR GRASS?
The question of whether washing machine water kills grass, is supposed to be a technical question. But this article is not a science newsletter, and the average reader is just another householder wondering whether waste water from his washer will kill his grass. Here is your answer:
No it won’t. Gray water from washing machines is safe for grasses. Detergents used in washing have been diluted to safe levels, as such they do not pose any threat to lawns and grasses. Watering plants and grasses with gray water is a good water management technique during drought and water scarcity.
To take away any bias, let’s look at the concern of some persons: detergents.
ARE DETERGENTS HARMFUL TO GRASS?
Are Detergents harmful to grass? Detergents are meant to remove oil and greases from dishes and clothes. When placed in concentrated amounts, they will do the same to the grass. Harm the grass.
The definition of concentrated is, pouring a handful of detergents on the grass with little or water.
Now having heard the other side of the story, let’s return to the issue on ground: the effect of washing machine water on grass.
CHEMICALS IN HOUSEHOLD WASHING WASHING WATER
There are chemicals in laundry water. And these have presented concerns to users. But let’s see the chemicals in an average household laundry machine.
Then we will discuss why they are not a treat and not a threat to your grass
1. Water
2. Detergent
3. Soap
4. Fabric softener
5. Bleach (only when washing whites)
WATER
Water is to laundry as fuel is to cars. Does water kill grass? obviously not. It is actually food for plants. in fact they need it to live.
HOW MUCH WATER IS TOO MUCH FOR YOUR LAWN?
Usually many garden and house plants need measured water to survive or even thrive. not so with grasses.
Just like wild animals are built to withstand harsh weather conditions in the wild, grasses are designed to withstand different amounts of water.
Actually it’s far easier for a grass to die of a lack of water, than from too much water.
Even after a flood when many garden plants are destroyed, grasses tend to survive.
So how much water from your washing machine can kill your grass? Well the answer is, ‘your machine can not produce enough water to kill it.
QUERRY | ANSWER | REASON |
Does washing machine water kill grass? | No | It needs it to survive and thrive The amount of water from a washing machine is not too much to overwhelm grasses. |
DETERGENT
Detergents are chemicals and therefore not friendly to plants generally.
Pouring damp detergent directly on a leaf can turn it pale after days. Pale is another word for saying the leaf dies.
So does the detergent from your machine waste water kill grasses? No.
Why?
- Because grasses are very resilient.
- Detergent will need to be in a concentrated amount to kill the grass.
- The opposite is the case in laundry water. There is enough water to dilute the detergent to a tolerable amount.
- Since washing machines also rinse your clothes after the first wash, even if the detergent concentration in the actual wash is able to kill the grass (usually it’s not able to), the rinsing process dilutes any detergent on the lawn. The concentration of the detergent is drastically reduced and not enough to kill the lawn.
QUERRY | ANSWER | REASON |
Does detergent in washing machine water kill grass? | No | Grasses are resilient. Concentrated amount of detergent is needed to kill grass. The amount in washing machine grey water is diluted to a tolerable state. Rinsing process flushes any excess detergent on the grass. Some detergents are biodegradable |
SOAP
Many households use soaps instead of detergent to do laundry
Soaps are made from natural ingredients, unlike detergents that are purely synthetic through and through.
Just like detergents, soaps in concentrated amounts can harm house lawn or grass.
However the same principle of detergents apply to so, and even more so.
You will need a high concentration of soap to kill grasses. The soap concentration in washing machine waste water is so low, that it becomes tolerable.
Soaps are biodegradable. Meaning even without dilution, it gets decomposed by bacteria and other organisms and therefore becomes harmless to the grass over time.
This is a euphemism for saying, ‘bacteria kills and eats soap.’ End of discussion!
For added info, please see the DETERGENT subheading above.
QUERRY | ANSWER | REASON |
Does soaps in washing machine water kill grass? | No | Grasses are resilient. Concentrated amount of soap is needed to kill grass. The amount in washing machine grey water is diluted to a tolerable state. Rinsing process flushes any excess soap on the grass. All soaps are biodegradable. They get eaten by bacteria and decompose over time. |
FABRIC SOFTENER
Fabric softeners are the lighter weight version of detergents and soaps. They are less potent.
If detergents are special forces soldiers, soaps are regular troops, then fabric softeners are street hoodlums.
Now you know the difference!
So all the principles stated under detergents and soaps apply to higher degrees to fabric softeners.
QUERRY | ANSWER | REASON |
Does fabric softeners in washing machine water kill grass? | No | Grasses are resilient. More concentrated amounts of fabric softeners are needed to kill grass. The amount in washing machine grey water is diluted to an insignificant state. Rinsing process flushes any excess fabric softeners on the grass. |
BLEACH
I don’t think the fight between chlorine bleach in washing machine water and grasses is a fair one.
To end this battle before it starts, I’ll simply quote a source. Here it is:
Case closed!
QUERRY | ANSWER | REASON |
Does bleach in washing machine water kill grass? | No | It isn’t strong enough. |
WHAT THE EVIDENCE SHOWS
Now talking from experience, in Africa, we have a poor drainage system. That means many hand and machine washes don’t have the pleasure of entering a gutter or drainage system.
Where does the whole waste water go? The grass in front of or behind your house.
I can tell you, from experience, that those grasses always look fresher than garden plants. Not because of the chemical but because
- They receive constant water
- The chemical concentration is low enough not to cause damage.
Believe me, if grey water kills grasses. There’ll be no vegetation in Africa.
WHY WASHING MACHINE WATER DOES NOT KILL GRASS – ILLUSTRATED
Let’s illustrate it this way.
Some food contains alcohol. So if you don’t drink alcohol, watch out, you might just be eating it!
Food such as Yogurt and even the great banana contains alcohol.
But if your doctor tells you that drinking alcohol kills, does that mean you should avoid bananas and any food containing alcohol? No.
The amount in these foods are so small that they are insignificant.
A ripe banana contains just 0.05g of alcohol. This is not enough to be classified as, ‘taking alcohol.’
This is the same with washing machines killing grasses.
While detergents and other chemicals in grey water are harmful to plants. The dilution process that goes with washing reduces its harm. They become almost insignificant.
RECYCLING WASHING MACHINE WATER TO WATER GRASSES AND GARDENS
This is the irony of this article.
So you came to verify if your washing machine water can kill your grass, and here you are receiving suggestions to use the same water to water those grasses purposefully.
But that is life.
Life is the biggest irony in life.
And if you’re still wondering whether your washing machine water will kill your grass, you need a vacation to Africa.
Kill me, and I’ll take you on a tour to see all the washing machines in the content. Massive exaggeration, but who cares!
But one truth stands, in Africa, behind every lush and luxuriant grass, there is a washing machine.
S/No. | QUERRY | ANSWER | REASON |
1 | Does washing machine water kill grass? | No | It needs it to survive and thrive The amount of water from a washing machine is not too much to overwhelm grasses. |
2 | Does detergent in washing machine water kill grass? | No | Grasses are resilient. Concentrated amount of detergent is needed to kill grass. The amount in washing machine grey water is diluted to a tolerable state. Rinsing process flushes any excess detergent on the grass. Some detergents are biodegradable |
3 | Does soaps in washing machine water kill grass? | No | Grasses are resilient. Concentrated amount of soap is needed to kill grass. The amount in washing machine grey water is diluted to a tolerable state. Rinsing process flushes any excess soap on the grass. All soaps are biodegradable. They get eaten by bacteria and decompose over time. |
4 | Does fabric softeners in washing machine water kill grass? | No | Grasses are resilient. More concentrated amounts of fabric softeners are needed to kill grass. The amount in washing machine grey water is diluted to an insignificant state. Rinsing process flushes any excess fabric softeners on the grass. |
5 | Does bleach in washing machine water kill grass? | No | It isn’t strong enough. |